The Building

A living history, spanning nine centuries from the 12th century to the present day, is contained within the foundations, walls and roofs of Southwark Cathedral

The nave incorporates many fragments of the Priory Church which survived the fire of 1212, including early 12th century Caen stone arcading. The earliest surviving parts of the structure provide evidence of the first Gothic church to be constructed in London: the choir, the retrochoir, the choir-aisles, the lower part of the tower and one or two fragments of masonry within the nave were probably being built before any other important work in the emergent Early English style was attempted in London. The last significant building phase, the rebuilding of the nave, was completed in the late 19th century to the designs of Sir Arthur Blomfield.

It is our duty to maintain and preserve this magnificent building for all to enjoy. The most recent fabric repairs have been completed due to the generosity of the government-funded First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.

These have included re-roofing the nave and replacing the gutters, new rainwater disposal arrangements to cope with increasingly heavy downpours and re-roofing the chancel together with urgently-needed repairs to high level masonry over the period 2010-2014, at a cost of £1 million.

We are delighted with the quality of work undertaken by skilled craftsmen, and are grateful for the generosity of the Cathedral’s friends and supporters towards this project.

The following future renovation and repair works are important priorities for Southwark Cathedral. Funding was provided by the Millennium Commission to create step free access to the Cathedral building in previous years, and these plans will further this work by enabling access to the East End of the Cathedral.

Step-free Access to the Cathedral’s East End (initial estimated cost £300,000)

The Cathedral is very concerned with providing better access for all, and enabling better access for those with disability to the whole of the East End of the Cathedral. It is a large and complex task involving the main liturgical space under the crossing.

Access to the Harvard Chapel is not easy for those with disability, as the entrance is via steps down into the chapel. This needs to be improved as the Chapel is the location for many of our daily services and also set aside for private prayer.

Donations to the Cathedral Fabric Fund will help to ensure that we are able to restore and maintain this beautiful building.

If you would like to donate to the Cathedral Fabric Fund, please click here